


Aren't We Just Terrified?

by wasp



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, zombie apocalypse!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-21
Updated: 2012-11-21
Packaged: 2017-11-19 05:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/569385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasp/pseuds/wasp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I thought you were – I thought you got bitten,” Liam gasps out, holding his wrists to the ground, his fingers grinding against the bone and skin, hard enough to leave darkened bruises in the morning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aren't We Just Terrified?

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble set in [Zombie Apocalypse!AU](http://archiveofourown.org/works/569381)

Louis doesn’t meant to frighten Liam , he really doesn’t – he might tease him an awful lot but that’s because he gets all flustered and it’s _cute,_ like he hasn’t brained three zombies a moment ago with blood still staining his arms – but he doesn’t ever want to be the person who’s capable of putting that look of sheer _terror_ on his face again. He doesn’t mean to do it but he does, just like how he didn’t mean to grab Liam’s hand through the swarm of flesh-eating walking dead – but he did.

Zombies, his brain helpfully supplies, they’re called zombies but Louis’ too busy blinking frantically up at Liam. Liam’s got his arms pinned to the ground besides his head, the thin blanket they’d managed to find thrown to the side in a flash of movement Louis hadn’t been predicting. He looks like a wild animal, his eyes huge and pupils blown in fear. Louis doesn’t know what he should do; he’s completely lost to everything but his heart thudding harsh inside his chest, shaking his ribs apart from the force of it. He couldn’t move if he’d tried, Liam’s grip on his wrists are unrelenting and he keeps him pinned with his hips. There’s a moment where Liam’s eyes finally manage to focus on him and he sees the switch flip in an instant.

“Louis,” Liam ends up saying and he sounds _wrecked_.

Louis doesn’t understand what’s happening but he knows how to deal with fear and he knows how to deal with panic – he’s had to learn fast. He doesn’t move at all, regarding Liam like he could tear is throat out in an instant, his heart high in his throat. He blinks up with clear blue eyes, trying to convey he’s not going to _hurt_ him.

“I thought you were – I thought you got bitten,” Liam gasps out, holding his wrists to the ground, his fingers grinding against the bone and skin hard enough to leave darkened bruises in the morning.

“Oh fuck, I’m sorry – it’s still me,” Louis says in a hurry, trying to relax under Liam to coax him to do the same.

They’re sleeping around the camp fire while Niall and Zayn are on guard and tensions have been high all day – fuck, they’ve been high all goddamn _week_. Louis feels like an idiot, he should know better but he feebly attempts to make excuses; he was only fucking around.

Because he couldn’t sleep and when he’d crawled closer to Liam, Liam had tugged him closer without hesitation. He never initiates any sign of physical contact when the sun’s high in the sky and it’d made Louis’ heart jump erratically and god the _want_ is going to burn him inside out. Liam tucked Louis to his side like it was second nature, not even breaking sleep for a moment and, well, Louis got greedy. That’s always how it goes.

He can see how it’d just about alarm anyone – even Harry in this new frightening context – and he can’t believe he’s stupid enough to have done it. He bit Liam, trailed his teeth against the line of his jaw, and it was supposed to be a joke, another thing to get him to flush and shy away, to wake him up because Louis can’t _sleep_ and it’s mostly Liam’s fault.

He didn’t expect Liam’s eyes to snap open and for him to pin him to the ground with surprising force and speed, his breathing laboured and quickening already. It was like he hadn’t been asleep at all, wide awake at once and ready to kill.

Liam’s still staring down at his face desperately, his eyes tracking over his eyes and down the jut of his cheekbones and swell of his bottom lip over and over again as if he needs more time to convince himself that it’s really Louis and not some monster that’s taken over his body.

“I couldn’t – Louis, if you were a zombie I’d be dead,” Liam says. It’s like he’s talking to himself, as if he’s realising something entirely new about himself. He’s talking about the pause, it hadn’t been too long but it was long enough for Louis’ possessed form to have killed him. He manages to look scared and so small while looming over Louis.

And Louis gets it, it’s all he can think about nowadays too. What would he do if one of them was turned – what would he do if _Harry_ was turned, could he kill him?

“Hey, I’m sorry – it wasn’t, it’s just me,” Louis says and he wants to touch him, hold him until he can stop the shakes wracking his body, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth and clenched tight enough for it to sink in and bloom red.

“I keep having these dreams and I’m being swarmed again but – but it’s Zayn and it’s – it’s _you_ and I have to kill you, I have to,” he repeats as if he’s trying to get Louis to understand, as if he’s _apologising_. He can’t seem to hold himself up for longer and he collapses, letting go of Louis’ wrists and rolling away.

Louis follows him, pulling Liam back towards him and tucking his head against the crook of his neck with a strong hand at the nape of his neck. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Louis murmurs, stroking his thumb against the scratchy hair, throat swollen and hoarse.

Louis knows about those dreams too. They all do. Sometimes he can’t and sometimes he does – he doesn’t know what’s worse to wake up to.

Louis brushes his lips against the tip of Liam's ear, murmuring apologies again and again until Liam calms down and his breathing becomes even again. He doesn’t let go of how his hands are clenched at Louis’ dirty t-shirt though and Louis in turn doesn’t let go of his hold on him either.


End file.
